Optical fiber is used for a variety of broadband applications including voice, video and data transmissions. As a result of the ever-increasing demand for broadband communications, fiber optic networks typically include a large number of mid-span access locations at which one or more optical fibers are branched from a distribution cable. These mid-span access locations provide a branch point from the distribution cable leading to an end-user or subscriber. Thus, “all optical” communications networks have been extended to the subscriber in arrangements known as “fiber-to-the-premises” (FTTP). Due to the geographical spacing between the service provider and the various subscribers served by each mid-span access location, optical connection terminals, such as closures, network terminals, pedestals and the like, are needed for interconnecting optical fibers and drops extending from the subscribers and optical fibers of the distribution cable extending from the service provider to establish the optical connection necessary to complete the FTTP communications network.
In one example of a fiber optic communications network, one or more drop cables are interconnected with a distribution cable at a mid-span access location within an aerial splice closure suspended from the distribution cable. To configure the optical connections within the closure in the field, a technician enters the closure, identifies an optical fiber of the distribution cable and interconnects the optical fiber with an optical fiber of a particular drop cable. The optical fibers of the drop cables are typically joined directly to the optical fibers of the distribution cable at the mid-span access location using conventional splicing techniques, such as fusion splicing. In other instances, the optical fibers of the drop cables and the optical cables of the distribution cable are first spliced to a short length of optical fiber having an optical connector mounted upon the other end, referred to in the art as a “pigtail.” The pigtail is routed to an opposite side of a connector adaptor sleeve to interconnect the drop cable within the distribution cable. In either of the foregoing cases, the process of entering and configuring the connections is not only time consuming, but frequently must be accomplished by a highly skilled field technician at significant cost and under field working conditions that may be less than ideal.
In order to reduce costs by permitting less experienced and less skilled technicians to perform mid-span access optical connections and reconfigurations in the field, communications service providers increasingly are pre-engineering new fiber optic networks and demanding factory prepared interconnection solutions, commonly referred to as “plug-and-play” type systems. However, even with arduous pre-engineering, it may be inconvenient, hazardous, or even impossible to make subsequent interconnections between pre-terminated or pre-connectorized optical fibers of the distribution cable and the optical fibers of the drop cables. Moreover, since the common practice is to use standard splitters; i.e., non-adjustable splitters, and hardware at different site locations, quick connection reconfigurations are not possible without completely disabling the communications system. Additionally, the optical power in the conventional connections cannot be adjusted over input, output, and drop segments to provide a broader wavelength band above the conventional 40 nm wavelength band while attempting to affect lower attenuation levels.
Although coaxial (“coax”) cable devices are known that distribute power to a predetermined number of coax cables, these devices are designed specifically for the coax cable industry and offer no solution for problems facing the optical fiber industry. More specifically, the coax cable devices use active electronics to tap desired power and utilize face plates based on this desired amount of power to be tapped and the number of drops. In other words, the face plate determines the power to be tapped, and the coax tapped power cannot be adjusted in the field.
An integrated fiber optic connection solution that is sufficiently rugged for deployment in harsh field environments, whether indoors, outdoors, and/or above or below grade level, is needed in the industry, which allows for passive power adjustment in the field between input, output, and drop legs of a fiber optic connection. Moreover, the desired solution would include an interchangeable plate that would permit converting easily from one tap ratio to another—such as from 1×4 to 1×16 taps—without requiring field splicing.